Scott Fagot Hunt Report
Hunter: Scott F
Caliber: BRNO .375 H&H
PH: Dempsey Bayly
Tracker: John “Big John” Mtshaise
Concession: Bayly Sippel Safaris, Madikwe East Home Base, Limpopo, South Africa
Time of Year: April 2021
One of our first hunts for the year was with a gentleman named Scott, accompanied by his lovely lady, Gracie. Scott was one of our clients who made use of the Forex offer available during the 2020 lockdown, when the Dollar was reaching record highs. By paying in full for a Cape buffalo and spotted hyena hunt during that time, he managed to save himself a significant amount of money.
After much discussion and planning, we were finally scheduled for April 2021. Scott was in a great position, although the bush was still relatively green after excellent summer rains in Limpopo, he would be the first hunter to pursue buffalo for the 2021 season at our Madikwe home base. These bulls are notoriously tough to hunt, so being first into the area was definitely an advantage!
Arrival and First Impressions
Scott and Gracie landed in Johannesburg after spending a few relaxing days at Sabi Sands, and without hesitation, we headed straight to our home base. Meeting up with Big John, the conversation flowed all the way to camp, setting a very positive tone for the safari ahead.
On arrival, we unpacked quickly and gave them a full tour of camp. Settled in, Scott and Gracie retired early, while Big John and I went out to drag roads, hoping to pick up good tracks by morning.
Day 1 – The Dugga Boy Surprise
We woke up fresh and eager to tackle some buffalo! Heading in the direction of the shooting range to check the rifle zeros, we were caught completely off guard, halfway there, we turned a corner and saw a beautiful old Dugga boy feeding in the open.
We watched as he slowly walked into the sekelbos. Not wanting to start the hunt that way, I marked where he entered the brush and told Scott we’d come back after checking zero.
Once rifles were confirmed, we raced back to the spot, stopping 500 meters short. After a quick team talk, we quietly approached the area. Moving slowly, I spotted the mark I’d made on the road, and then caught the flick of an ear! The bull had only gone about 20 yards into the thicket and had bedded down.
I set up the sticks, and once Scott was ready, I gave a soft bellow. The bull stood up slowly, and the shot broke! He took off, clearly hard hit. Big John, listening intently, said he could hear raspy breathing. We both strained to hear it too, but no death bellow came.
We called for backup and took a moment to gather ourselves, it all felt unreal. This is what happens when you leave a hunting area untouched for a year! Still, with no death bellow, we knew the bull could be dangerous.
Cautiously entering that wall of bush, we didn’t have to go far. The bull had gone only another 20 meters before collapsing. He must have been hit so hard that he couldn’t produce a death bellow. What an incredible start to Day 1!
After sorting out the loading and recovery, we enjoyed a quick lunch and headed back out for the afternoon, feeling completely relaxed.
Spotting a huge herd of zebra, we decided to attempt a stalk. With so many eyes in the open, we used the old trick of showing ourselves briefly, then working the angles to close the distance. Eventually, we got within 100 yards, and Scott made a perfect shot on a beautiful, dark-striped zebra that dropped just next to the road. A perfect end to Day 1!
Day 2 – Tsessebe, Baboons, and Patience
Scott hadn’t planned on hunting a tsessebe, but after seeing the numbers on our Madikwe concession, he decided that if he was ever going to take one, it should be here. We agreed to hold out for something truly special.
That morning, we spotted a herd with a standout bull. After an intricate stalk, the cows pinned us down early, but the bull was too busy impressing them to notice us. At about 150 meters, quartering away, he paused, Scott wasted no time. His shot with my trusty .375 H&H was perfect, dropping the tsessebe within 60 yards. The bull stretched the tape past the magic 16-inch mark, a superb trophy!
Later, we sat at a waterhole hoping for a big warthog, though it was early for the rut. While waiting, we had plenty of visitors. Eventually, a large baboon approached. We immediately sat down to avoid detection, these animals have incredible eyesight. Once the big male presented himself, Scott took the shot. The baboon ran a short way, then stopped for a follow-up, which sealed the deal. He was clearly the troop leader, massive body and fearsome teeth. You wouldn’t want him grabbing you!
The rest of the day was uneventful as we remained selective on trophy quality, it was still early in the season, and patience was on our side.
Day 3 – The Giant Boar
While stalking wildebeest near one of the most isolated waterholes, we bumped into four massive warthogs that bolted from their beds like small rhinos! That confirmed they were likely drinking there in the evenings.
Knowing that big boars come in late this time of year, we settled into a very hot blind around 3 p.m. The afternoon was slow until two giraffe bulls cautiously came in to drink. As the sun set and the moon rose, I was about to say, “This is prime time,” when Scott whispered, “Big pig!”
A huge boar was approaching confidently. He began drinking at a quartering-away angle, with a giraffe’s foot perfectly blocking the exit line of the bullet. I told Scott to wait until the giraffe moved. As soon as it did, he fired, the .375 did its job perfectly. The giant boar dropped on the spot.
When we walked up, it was clear he was around the 100 kg mark, and based on cold carcass weight, likely even heavier on the hoof. We called Big John to come fetch us under the full moon, it was a late supper, but who cared? We were hunting hard and loving every minute!
Day 4 – The Golden Wildebeest
Golden wildebeest are always great fun to hunt. They compete with the blue wildebeest for herd leadership and seem to know they’re different, often acting more wary.
After being outmaneuvered several times, we got a message one morning that a mixed herd of blue and golden wildebeest had been spotted nearby. We raced over and began a careful stalk with a very questionable wind. Over 30 minutes, we closed to 60 meters.
It turned out to be a bachelor herd with several blues and only one golden bull, an absolute giant. When the fickle wind finally betrayed us, a blue started snorting, causing movement in the herd. Thankfully, our golden bull stepped out. I gave a quick snort to stop him, and Scott shot instantly, clean, fast, and accurate. The bull was down within 50 meters. A hard-earned and very satisfying stalk!
Day 5 – Completing the Spiral Slam
Scott had mentioned wanting to complete his spiral-horned slam with an eland bull. The eland on our home base are enormous but wary, often requiring tracking like buffalo.
We had one close encounter, getting within 30 meters of a fine bull, but Scott couldn’t make him out in the thick sekelbos. After reassessing, we decided to focus on the late afternoon hours when bulls seemed to make mistakes during the full moon.
Finally, one evening at last light, a bachelor herd of bulls appeared, among them, an old ivory-horned giant with a heavy dewlap. Scott made two quick shots, with the second being the finisher. Just like that, he’d completed his Spiral Slam!
Day 6 – Golden Gemsbok and the Hyena Challenge
As the safari drew to a close, our main remaining target was the spotted hyena. We’d been hunting them most nights, long days and even longer nights, but without success. We suspected something large had died on the Madikwe side, drawing the hyenas away.
That afternoon, we decided to go after a golden gemsbok on a neighboring, more open concession. It’s perfect terrain for gemsbok, ostrich, and red hartebeest. We quickly spotted several herds, but stalking in that openness is another matter!
After one failed approach, we were heading back when the farm manager radioed to ask if we were still stalking “the herd in front.” Looking up, we saw another previously unseen herd and immediately changed course. The many aardvark holes made the approach an adventure, we disappeared into them several times, much to the amusement of our crew back at the vehicle.
Finally, in range, we set up for the shot. On a previous attempt, I’d told Scott to hold slightly low to compensate for distance. Now much closer, that advice lingered in his mind. At the shot, the gemsbok dropped instantly, but to our dismay, stood up just as the herd ran past, blocking a follow-up. What followed was a long, exhausting pursuit, complete with more holes and more laughs, but we finally secured the beautiful golden gemsbok.
The Grand Finish
With most of the main goals achieved, we entered the relaxed phase of the safari, still hunting, but enjoying the successes of the previous days. We kept up the hyena hunts but without luck.
One afternoon, while cruising, we spotted a big warthog feeding in a field. I asked Scott if he wanted to take a look. He agreed, and he, Gracie, and I stalked closer. Seeing it was a great boar, I asked Scott if he wanted to shoot. Instead, he turned to Gracie, who had never shot off sticks before, and asked if she wanted to take the shot.
Sensing potential chaos, I offered a few quick words of advice, then held my breath. To my relief, she made a perfect shot! The boar rolled over, kicking like a classic well-hit pig. It was a fantastic trophy and a stunning first African animal for Gracie, may it be the first of many more!
The final animal we needed was a copper springbok to complete Scott’s Grand Slam. With help from a good friend, we arranged a day to pursue one. After a slow morning, we finally found a beautiful ram, and Scott made another perfect shot. Just like that, the safari was complete.
We celebrated with a world-class game drive, cold drinks, and plenty of laughter, a phenomenal safari filled with great memories, many laughs, and new friendships.
A huge thank you to Scott and Gracie for being such fantastic sports throughout the safari and for always keeping the mood positive.
Until next time!
